Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Ticks / guinea fowl

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: road's end farm <organic101@linkny.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Ticks / guinea fowl
  • Date: Sat, 6 May 2006 21:19:38 -0400


On May 5, 2006, at 9:15 AM, Brungardt, Sam wrote:
<x-tad-bigger>
</x-tad-bigger>
I've read varying reports on how effective guineas are for tick control.  I wish someone would put an end to the controversy and do a scientific study. 
<x-tad-bigger>
</x-tad-bigger>"A" scientific study is unlikely to settle the controversy: it would probably be done with one or a few flocks of guineas in one or a few sets of circumstances. You'll only find out whether the particular guineas in the particular studies tested were effective or not.

My guess is that varying reports in the field have to do with the genetics and learned habits of the particular guinea flocks, the type of ticks, the number of ticks, what plants the ticks are found in, what other foods are available for the guineas to eat, what other animals/plants the guineas may be avoiding or attracted to, the climate, the specific weather, and very likely a batch of factors I'm not thinking of right now or don't know about at all.

Having said that: scientific studies of this could be really useful, if they were designed to answer the question, "Under what circumstances, if any, are guineas useful in tick control"? and not just designed as if this were an either/or, either they are useful for this or they aren't.

--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page